Kotomo
Kotomo is a turn-based RPG developed by Pyro Enterprises for the Onyx, taking heavy inspiration from the Pokémon franchise as well as the company's previous foray into the series, Pokémon Anima. Story Prologue The game begins with a digitized screen asking the player for identification, enabling the player to input their name, date of birth, other personal information, and adjust their appearance. Upon inputting these settings, the screen flashes a note of confirmation as a logo for a company called Verdacorp appears on it. The camera then pans out to show the screen on the player character's watch, and pans out even further to reveal them sitting alone in some sort of subway car. The opening credits play as the train travels through a greyscale city, grey clouds overhead casting shadows on largely ruined buildings. The train continues traveling through multiple active smokestacks before arriving on a bridge on some cold, dead plain, the grey horizon stretching on endlessly. Eventually, the player arrives at a large white building, the subway pulling into a station as they are once again greeted by the Verdacorp logo. The player enters the building and is quickly spotted by a blond woman in a blue dress. Introducing herself as Madeline, secretary and assistant to the head researchers at Verdacorp, she takes notice of the watch on the player's wrist and determines that it is an employee-level Active Menu device; as such, they must have been invited in by one of the company's employees. Asking the player to follow her through the building's halls, the pair eventually enter a serene and peaceful garden area, where Madeline opens a side door to some sort of laboratory. Inside are two male scientists, one large and fat with a fluffy white beard, the other scrawny and lanky with a strange-looking set of goggles. Madeline introduces the two as Professor Woodrow and Professor Hextor; upon hearing Madeline, Woodrow notices who the player is and welcomes their child to Verdacorp, the other two adults being surprised about the familial connection. Aiming to catch the player up on what exactly their father does at Verdacorp, Woodrow explains that the state of the world's ecology and sustainability have been declining at a rapid rate for the past 30 years, and could potentially lead to the downfall of humanity if not stopped. As a result, Verdacorp was established to craft any means possible of recovering the environment; while some researchers, like Hextor, were biologists that researched new disease-resistant strains of plants, others instead created technological marvels designed to cleanse the environment directly, and others still, like Woodrow, dedicated their lives to researching renewable sources of energy that could help sustain the human race. He himself was currently preparing the finishing touches on a device that was designed to transfer quantum energy into electrical energy, using the flow of time and space itself as a means to generate power. The reason he had sent for the player, he explained, was to pull them out of college and use their intelligence to help Verdacorp and do something greater with themselves. After all, what was better than saving the planet? Hextor interrupts the conversation between father and child, saying that the two of them would need more time alone in order to finish the quantum generator and instructing Madeline to take them back out to the garden. When the two manage to find some space alone, Madeline expresses exasperation that she never got to contribute to these great advancements in science and instead was left dealing with the busywork, and tells the player to simply explore the building and hang out until they receive word from the professors. After some time, however, an alarm begins to go off in the lab, and strange violet electricity begins bursting through the door. Concerned for their father, the player rushes towards the door and manages to pull it open, a worried Madeline immediately behind them. Inside the laboratory, the player finds the quantum generator sparking and crackling with energy as the hole in its center glows with purple light. The two professors are on either side of the lab, Hextor panicking and hiding in the corner while Woodrow scavenges through their tools, looking for something. Seeing a red switch on the machine, the player rushes towards it, hoping that they can shut the device down. Madeline jumps after the player to attempt to pull them to safety, and Woodrow also extends his hand to realize what is happening, but before anyone can make a move, a beam of energy extends from the generator and pulls both the player and Madeline into the swirling core at the center. The generator shuts down, the professors looking on in horror as not a trace of either Madeline or the player remain. ---- The player finds themselves awakening in a dark forest, far from any place in or even around the Verdacorp building. They get to their feet and struggle to find their bearings, but even then, the unfamiliar surroundings begin to get to them, and they run through the forest at a breakneck pace attempting to find where they are. To their surprise, strange creatures begin jumping out at them from the brush, unlike anything the player has seen before; only getting more worried by the second, they continue to run from these creatures until eventually making it to a slightly lighter clearing. Though they appear to be cornered by the small monsters, someone behind them squirts a stream of water at them, calmly telling them to go back into the forest. As the creatures walk away, the player turns around to see a girl about their age with pinkish hair, who seems shocked at their condition. Wrapping her arms around them, she urgently begins taking the player through the woods, reassuring them that they can recover at their house. After some time, the girl manages to escort the player through the forest and into a small town, built on a cliff looking over a beautiful sunset. Entering a larger house with a red roof, the girl sets the player down on a bed and starts rushing to get them some water. As she goes through this process, an old woman walks into the room, asking her what exactly is going on. While the girl explains to the old lady about finding the player in the woods, three small creatures akin to the ones found in the forest walk around the corner and look inquisitively at the player; shocked once again, they fall out of the bed, backing away from the small creatures who are equally startled at the impact. Trying to calm everything down, the girl seems to understand the player's unfamiliarity with the creatures, and decides explaining everything would be the best way to ease the player's tensions. The girl introduces herself as Kiki, and the old woman as her mother, Sosa. The two lived in Gakechi Town, a small village on the island of Heiwana- something that Kiki seemed confused about before figuring that the player must have simply hit their head and lost some of their memory. The small creatures that the player seemed so afraid of were called Kotomo- magical creatures that had been living alongside humans since time immemorial, working alongside them to create a peaceful and stable society. Sosa herself was a Kotomo breeder, helping to raise and take care of young Kotomo. Even after being caught up to speed, the player seems dazed and confused, and asks to wander around the village for a moment. After exploring Gakechi Town and coming to terms with where exactly they have wound up, the player attempts to venture back into the woods, hoping to locate Madeline and find a way back home. Before they leave, however, Kiki runs back after them, the three small Kotomo from the house following behind her. Kiki warns the player about heading off into the woods again without a Kotomo of their own to guide them, and offers to lend them one of the three rare ones that her mother had been taking care of for some time. After the player selects one to act as their partner, Kiki then challenges the player to a simple, friendly battle, hoping to ensure that they learn how to defend themselves as well as their new ally. ---- After making their way through the woods, the player arrives in another small town, this one being a bit larger than Gakechi Town. Exploring the area, they soon come across Madeline, who is sitting down on a bench with a small Scarling in their lap. Excited to see the player again, she runs up to them with their newfound Kotomo friend, attempting to explain to them everything that has happened since they were separated. After catching up Madeline expresses her joy again at reuniting with the player, but her mood then switches to concern upon realizing that they may not have a means of returning to their own world. In a split second, strange crackles of energy emerge from the forest, and as the two delve back in, they discover another portal akin to the one found on the quantum generator having appeared on its own. Seeing no other opportunity, the two jump in, taking their Kotomo with them. As the portal closes, however, an unknown individual with black and red clothes walks away from the scene, having witnessed the events that have transpired. The player and Madeline find themselves back in the lab, with the pair of professors standing by the generator with a surprised expression. The joyous celebration of their return quickly turns to concern when Woodrow notices the player's starter and Madeline's Scarling, backing off in fear as Hextor jumps behind a nearby table in order to hide. Madeline quickly explains the situation, informing the professors that through the use of the generator, they had managed to access some form of alternate reality filled with fantastical creatures and a much more vibrant ecosystem than the one that they were currently part of. Intrigued, Hextor asks to see the player's starter, hoping to learn some of its secrets through dissection; as the creature backs off in fear, Woodrow instead proposes that the player and Madeline return to the new dimension and explore the environment... After all, this new world could potentially have the secret to saving their own. Handing the two of them a pair of digital catalogs in order to write down information about the Kotomo for scientific analysis, Woodrow reopened the generator's portal, wishing their child the best of luck exploring the new world. ---- The pair return to the woods, with Madeline immediately wanting to return to the larger town and see the sights. As she ran off in the direction of the town, the player hears Kiki calling for them, deciding to investigate. The girl, upon seeing the player, expresses confusion for their sudden disappearance, but is happy to see them again regardless. Excited to have someone to finally hang out with, Kiki suggests following Madeline into the larger town, Komasu Town, in order to see the sights, something she rarely got to do on her own. While exploring the city, meeting plenty of friendly faces and mysterious Kotomo, the two come across a strange shrine with a small blue gem in the center of it. The player asks Kiki about the gem, learning that the object is known as the V Stone and is a symbol of Heiwana's guardian deity... although that was something that Kiki didn't know very much about. Kiki continues walking through the city streets, but the player is quickly stopped by an unknown figure- the same person who witnessed them walking through the portal originally. The young man, a suspicious expression across his face, begins questioning the player, asking them about who exactly they were and why they entered the "mysterious vortex". Not wanting to jeopardize their father's mission and cause hysteria, the player dodges their questions, only for the mysterious individual to introduce themselves as Blade, claiming they will keep an eye on them. Gameplay Gameplay in Kotomo is largely divided between two phases, being Overworld and Battle. While in the overworld, the player explores 3D environments, navigating around hazards and interacting with NPCs. The player can activate the game's menu by pressing Up on their D-pad, which pulls up the Active Menu, and Left and Right on the D-pad can be used to select an option before pressing A to confirm. The Left Stick is utilized for character movement, while the Right Stick is instead used for free camera control. The player can converse with NPCs or investigate suspicious objects using the A button; if the player presses X next to an NPC instead, however, you gain the option to challenge them to a battle. Battle can also be triggered when running into a wild Kotomo on the overworld, or when walking in the path of a more aggressive human NPC. Kotomo The fundamental basics of Kotomo's combat are based around the titular Kotomo, wild creatures native to the land of Heiwana. If a wild Kotomo is encountered in battle, the player has the option to either defeat it for EXP or convince it to join the player's team utilizing the Call command. The Call command has a percentage next to it which showcases the odds of the command working on the wild Kotomo; while simply damaging it increases the chance very slightly, the player can also use their own healing items on the wild opponent, which restores their health while also greatly increasing their trust, and thus the chances of Call working successfully. The player is also able to equip Charms, small trinkets which grant Call unique boosts or augmentations under certain conditions. The player is tasked with managing a team of 6 Kotomo in order to fight their battles, which can be swapped out at any time with other Kotomo the player has collected using the Active Menu's Team option. Each of the player's team members can be equipped with an Item, which has varying passive effects, and their moves and abilities can be altered on a whim using the player's collected Movestones and Skillstones. Kotomo each have a passive Ability that triggers under varying circumstances, and can always be recruited with a unique one of their own; as a Kotomo levels up, they will earn an additional Ability Slot at certain milestones, letting the player use Skillstones to add more. Each Kotomo possesses one of six Natures, which influence what stat it excels at most. A Kotomo's nature can be seen at a whim through its idle animation, as a Kotomo has unique idle animations depending on its Nature. The player is also able to assign a Training Regimen to each Kotomo, which functions as a secondary Nature and boosts the specific stat assigned to them. The list of Natures are as follows. Battle System The battle system in Kotomo is built around 2v2 battles, with the two leading members of the player's team being sent into battle first. Each Kotomo has access to four moves at any given time, each with their own amount of Move Points, or MP, which determine the amount of times a move can be used. MP fully recovers at the end of battle. After selecting moves for both of your team members, all combatants execute their chosen moves in accordance with their Speed stat; the turn order as determined by Speed is showcased by the flashing rings under each Kotomo, which signal the order of who will move. If a Kotomo loses all of their HP, they enter a KO state, in which they cannot perform any actions and are unable to battle. Battle is won when all of the opponent's Kotomo are KOed. Aside from selecting one of their moves, the player can also use a Kotomo's turn to Change, letting them quickly swap to another team member, use an Item in order to recover a Kotomo, or attempt to Run from a wild battle. In battles with NPCs, both the Run and Call commands are replaced with the Cheer command, which can be used to encourage one of the player's Kotomo and charges some of their V-Energy. Stances and V-Energy At all times, the player's Kotomo exist in one of two Stances, denoted by the red or blue circle under their feet. The red Stance, located on the player's left, is known as the Strength Stance, and provides a 1.5x boost to the offensive stats of the Kotomo currently residing within. The other blue stance, Shield Stance, instead provides a 1.5x boost to defensive stats. Players can swap between Stances by hitting the Switch prompt on their turn, which will swap the Kotomo when combat proper begins and does not expend a turn. Proper use of the benefits of each Stance are key when battling at high-level play. Each Kotomo has a bar of golden energy known as V-Energy, which accumulates as they both deal and take damage. When enough energy has accumulated and the bar is full, the Kotomo is then allowed to expend it on their turn in order to pull off a powerful maneuver which can often change the tide of battle, which is done by augmenting one of their four moves. If the user is in Strength Stance, they will be able to perform a V-Move, a powerful offensive attack that deals massive damage. If they are instead in Shield Stance, they will gain access to a V-Form, a passive buff which lasts for three turns and has varying effects based on the original source Type. The player may also obtain Relics throughout their journey, which are equippable items which provide a Kotomo access to a fifth V-Move or V-Form when held. If both Kotomo have their V-Energy bars filled, they are able to unite with the player to perform a third technique known as a V-Call or V-Cheer. V-Calls are available in wild battles, and greatly raise the chance of recruiting a wild Kotomo, while V-Cheers are available during human battles and act as a more powerful V-Move, dealing heavy damage and gaining the primary elemental properties of the pair of Kotomo using it. Typing System Each Kotomo is classified under one of 17 elemental classes known as Types; they can either be single-Typed, referred to as Monotype, or dual-Typed, referred to as Bitype. Types influence the defensive capabilities of each Kotomo, granting them resistances and weaknesses, as well as offer increased power to similarly-typed moves through a mechanic called STAB, or Same-Type Attack Bonus. Additionally, an 18th Type known as Neutral exists, but only in regards to certain moves. No Kotomo is typed as Neutral, and as such, it is hard to receive STAB on these moves; Neutral Moves are not resisted or are strong against anything, making them a universal standard option that can be usefully applied in many situations. Characters Kotomo Listing World Map Moves Abilities Items Consumable Bait/Food Trivia *Credit to for assistance with designing Bonpeito, Chris and Ciela, as well as providing feedback on the designs of Cowltessa and Rookenji. Gallery KotomoStarters.png|Group art of the three starters. KotomoGlisteningStarters.png|Group art of the Glistening variants of the three starters. Fan Art A gallery for fanart created for the project. Feel free to post! File:Pumble.png|Pubble with Cheems' face. File:PubbleFamily2.png|A variety of Doge inspired Pubbles. PubbleRedwing.png|Pubble by . Pubble sj5.png|Pubble by . im a guud puppo.PNG|guud puppo he angy.PNG|he angy Gunble.png|Gun Pubble by . Aerilion.PNG|Aerilion Dandilite.PNG|Dandilite Kotomo Pubble - by Tigzon.png|Pubble by Flowey Dandilite.PNG|a version of dandilite based on flowey from undertale kotomopubbleCL4090.png|Pubble by CrakaboLazy4090 (I don't know how to put links on text) toxide_ender.png|Toxide by ender toxideglistening_ender.png|Toxide (unofficial Glistening variation) also by ender Flowey Dandilite 2.PNG|smug flowey dandilite Flowey Dandilite 3.PNG|winking flowey dandilite Cute Lil' Colward.png|A cute lil' Colward drawn by PubbleJay.png|A little Pubble pixel art by User:JayOkumura KotomoEringa.png|A Eringa. Made by Kotomoconceptart_FMC.jpg|Official concept art of Ciela by Kotomoconceptart_MMC.jpg|Official concept art of Chris by Kotomoconceptart_Rookenji1.jpg|Official concept art of a Rookenji rework by Kotomoconceptart_Rookenji2.jpg|Official concept art of a Rookenji rework by Bonpeito.jpg|Bonpeito concept art by Agent Synax 4x.png|Pixel art of Synax by Agent Stiril 4x.png|Pixel art of Stiril by AgentMuffin Agent Cowlard 4x.png|Pixel art of Cowlard by AgentMuffin Agent Rookid 4x.png|Pixel art of Rookid by AgentMuffin Agent Pubble 4x.png|Pixel art of Pubble by AgentMuffin Agent Dandilite 4x.png|Pixel art of Dandilite by AgentMuffin Agent Poxic 4x.png|Pixel art of Poxic by AgentMuffin Agent Toxide 4x.png|Pixel art of Toxide by AgentMuffin Agent Gigapagos 4x.png|Pixel art of Gigapagos by AgentMuffin Mirror Dandilite and Aerilion.png|Art of Dandilite and Aerilion by KirbiMiroir. Rundrake and Disypser.png|Art of a Dispyser and several Rundrake by KirbiMiroir. Synax Charged.png|Synax's Spirit in Super Smash Bros. Charged by . Tandrum Charged.png|Tandrum's Spirit in Super Smash Bros. Charged by . Stiril Charged.png|Stiril's Spirit in Super Smash Bros. Charged by . Rookenji Charged.png|Rookenji's Spirit in Super Smash Bros. Charged by . Pubble Charged.png|Pubble's Spirit in Super Smash Bros. Charged by . Glurm Charged.png|Glurm's Spirit in Super Smash Bros. Charged by . Fuguli Charged.png|Fuguli's Spirit in Super Smash Bros. Charged by . Poxic Charged.png|Poxic's Spirit in Super Smash Bros. Charged by . Kotomosona.png| ' as a Kotomo trainer PubbleExoPainted.png|Pubble by Valentine Cowltessa.png|Valentine Cowltessa drawn by KnightPubble.PNG|Pubble in armor, drawn by Category:Games Category:Original Games Category:Onyx Games Category:Pyro Enterprizes Category:Role-Playing Games